Selvage forming device in shuttleless looms



Jan. 21, 1969 GOLOBART 3,422,861

SELVAGE FORMING DEVICE IN SHUTTLELESS LooMs' Sheet Filed Jan. 19, 1967 HI Jim I NVEN TOR Mud/v 544A cum mower Jan. 21, 1969 R. B. GOLOBART 3,422,861

SELVAGE FORMING DEVICE IN SHUTTLELESS LOOMS Filed Jan. 19, 1967 Sheet 3 Of 5 INVENTOR RAMow BAA/160B? 604mm- United States Patent Office 3,422,861 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 3,422,861 SELVAGE FORMENG DEVICE IN SHUTTLELESS LOOMS Ramon Balaguer Golobart, Calle Valls y Taberner 11, Barcelona 6, Spain Filed Jan. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 610,434 Claims priority, application Spain, Jan. 22, 1966, 322,688 US. Cl. 139-122 2 Claims Int. Cl. D03d 47/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A selvage forming device for shuttleless looms where a tubular mouthpiece acts as a thread guide and is arranged for angular rotation for introducing the supplemental independent thread, which passes through the thread-guide channel of the mouthpiece, into the shed at the border of the fabric to a depth correspondent to the desired width of the selvage, where it is inserted by an air jet.

The present invention relates to a selvage forming device in shuttleless looms, especially adapted 'for looms producing two fabrics at a time, which produces very consistent selvages.

There are known various types of selvage forming devices in single looms, such as those formed by a hook carrying a supplemental independent thread and cooperating with a pin retaining this independent thread for the formation of the selvage at each border of the fabric, or devices based on the so-called leno system, that is, alternative crossing of the outer warp threads and interlacing with the weft thread, or devices based on clamping means, hooks or brushes which introduce the protruding ends of the weft threads into the shed, either mechanically or by an air-current directed on the remaining weft threads and which, once having turned back on themselves, are recaught at the border of the fabric on the closing of the shed.

A great disadvantage of these known devices is that they generally produce thick selvages in the fabrics. This is due to the fact that the weft thread is turned back on itself, thus increasing considerably the thickness of the selvage.

A further great disadvantage of the known devices consists in that the supplemental independent thread which is guided by a hook and retained by a pin, gets inserted between the outer warp threads of the selvage and that said known devices are based on generally complicated mechanisms which require much space and in operation they are exposed to failures owing to the friction to which the thread is exposed. Particularly, when the thread is a very thin one, there exists a great risk of breakage. On the other hand, the arrangement of said known devices is not possible on shuttleless looms adapted to produce two parallel fabrics at a time, as such looms would require two pins for retaining the supplemental independent threads at the selvage and, accordingly, two complicated mechanisms.

The present invention avoids these disadvantages, and although the device according to the invention may be adapted normally to looms producing one single fabric, it is particularly appropriate for looms producing two fabrics at a time.

The device according to the invention comprises a tubular mouthpiece which, actuating as a thread-guide, is arranged on a movable support provided with a shaft adapted to effect an angular rotation of about 30, in order that by means of this rotation the supplemental independent thread, which passes through the thread guide channel of the mouthpiece, is introduced into the shed at the border of the fabric to a depth corresponding to the desired width of the selvage to be produced, the said tubular mouthpiece being united to a flexible supplier tube of compressed air, proceeding from any compressed air producing element like an injector, compressor, accumulator or the like, in such a way that the stream of compressed air supplied through said tube into the mouthpiece engages the supplemental independent thread introduced into the same and blows it out of the mouthpiece inserting it at the selvage between the outer warp threads of the shed simultaneously with the rotation of the mouthpiece, actuated by the said shaft, from the exterior to the interior of the border of the fabric, the shed being closed at the beginning of the return travel of the mouthpiece and the supplemental independent thread being clamped by the advance movement of the loom slay between the warp threads of the selvage, simultaneously with the weft thread of the last passage, thus being closed finally the selvage forming cycle.

The most important feature of the device according to the invention is that, when it is to be arranged on looms adapted for producing two parallel fabrics at a time, it comprises two mouthpieces mounted on the same support and introducing arm and adapted for inserting between the outer warp threads of the respective shed, corresponding supplemental independent threads for the formation of two selvages at a time, that is, one in each fabric. This would be very difficult by means of the known devices having hook shaped elements for introducing the supplemental independent thread between the outer warp threads of the shed, and a pin, actuated from the top to the bottom, or from the bottom to the top, for retaining the loop of the supplemental independent thread introduced into the shed. Although the use of such devices is possible in a loom for producing one single fabric, it would be impossible in a loom for producing two parallel fabrics at a time, due to great difliculties in the application of two pins for retaining the supplemental independent threads. In contrast thereto, the device according to the invention avoids such retaining pins of the supplemental independent threads between the outer warp threads of the shed.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the device arranged at the right side of a loom for producing one single fabric.

FIG. 2 is a front view in section of the selvage forming device on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the device arranged at the right side of a loom for producing two parallel fabrics at a time.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the device corresponding to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the device showing the mouthpiece in its starting position for initiating the selvage forming cycle of the corresponding passage, the loom slay being illustrated in its retracted position.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the device showing the mouthpiece in the position that it adopts after having passed through the outer warp threads of the shed and introduced the supplemental independent thread into the same.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the device, showing the mouthpiece in the position that it adopts at the beginning of its return movement after having left a loop of the supplemental independent thread between the outer warp threads, the loom slay being illustrated at the beginning of its advance movement.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of the device showing the loom slay in its advanced position gripping the loop of the supplemental independent thread introduced between the outer warp threads of the shed by the mouthpiece of the device which already has left the shed, thus being closed the selvage formation cycle of the corresponding passage.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the weft thread-guiding and selvage-forming mouthpiece.

Referring to these figures, 1 is the support of the selvage forming device, fixed by the projection 2 to the cross beam 3 of the loom frame 4 by means of screws 5 and 6.

The support 1 is provided with a bore extending through its entire length adapted for the passage of a shaft 7 rotatingly guided in the sleeves 8 and 9 of this support 1. At the upper end 10 of the shaft 7 there is fixed by means of a screw 1. At the upper end 10 of the shaft 7 there is fixed by means of a screw 11 the bush 12 of a support arm 13, which is provided on its opposite extreme end With a bush 14 secured by means of a screw 15 to an adjustable shaft 16, at the upper end of which there is fixed a small guiding support 17 adapted to fasten the mouthpiece 18 by means of the screw 19 in its correct position. To the extreme rear end 20 of the mouthpiece 18 there is united a flexible tube 21 for supplying compressed air.

At the lower extreme end 22 of the shaft 7 there is fixed by means of the bolt 23, the bush 24, arranged on the extreme end of a lever-arm 25 and surrounded by a helical spring 26, the short leg 27 of which is introduced into the inner base of the support 1 and the long leg 28 of which exerts a constant pressure on the lever-arm 25. At the other end of said lever-arm 25 there is fixed a bush 29 carrying a roller 30 which slides under the constant axial pressure on the lateral sinuosity of a cam 31 fixed on a rotating shaft 32 of the loom.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the device adapted to form two parallel selvages at a time in looms producing two fabrics, and the supplemental independent threads and 46 passing through the tension devices 36, 47 for entering into the mouthpieces 18, 34 and forming the loops 41, 48 at the exit side of these mouthpieces, the shaft 16 having been extended for the arrangement of the small guiding support 33 carrying the mouthipece 34 which forms the selvage and is fixed to said guiding support 33 by means of the screw 43. The rearward end 44 of the mouthpiece 34 is united, as in the case of the mouthpiece 13, to a flexible tube 45 supplying the compressed air, the two mouthpieces 18 and 34 being adapted for the formation of parallel selvages at a time.

In operation, the supplemental independent thread 35 (FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8) proceeding from a stationary bobbin (not shown) passes through a tension device 36 and is introduced into the mouthpiece 18 (FIG. 9) through its entrance 37, passes through the mouthpiece and leaves it through the exit 38 conveyed by the stream of the compressed air entering into the mouthpiece through the entrance 39 proceeding from any air producing element like an injector, compressor, accumulator or the like and conducted by means of the flexible tube 21 connected with the mouthpiece. The tension of the supplemental independent thread 35 is adjusted by means of a known tensioning device 36 which brakes the supplemental independent thread 35 gradually so as to be introduced between the outer warp threads of the shed to the required depth for the formation of the corresponding loop during the advance movement of the mouthpiece 18 towards the selvage warp threads. In the case of producing one single fabric (FIG. 1), as well as in the case of producing two parallel fabrics at a time in the same loom (FIGS. 3 and 4), the stream of compressed air passing through the mouthpiece or the mouthpieces 18, 34 pushes the supplemental independent thread or threads 35, 46 which proceed from the selvage having already been formed in the fabric during the preceding passage of the weft. FIG. 5 shows the mouthpiece 18 in its starting position for entering into the shed through the border of the fabric when the loom slay 40 is in its retracted position.

Once the support arm 13 has effected its rotation caused by the displacement of the roller 30 fixed to the bush 29 of the lever-arm 25 and which is sliding on the rotating cam 31 having an axial bulge, the exit 38 of the mouthpiece 18 is introduced into the shed (FIG. 6), positioning the supplemental independent thread 35 between the outer warp threads of the shed. The support arm 13 then begins the return rotation to its starting position by means of the rotation of the cam 31 and the sliding of the roller 30 on the lateral sinuosity of the same, this roller being maintained under the constant pressure of the spring 26 in sliding contact with the cam 31. Owing to this return movement of the support arm 13, the exit 38 of the mouthpiece 18 is withdrawn from the shed (FIG. 7), the loop 41 of the supplemental independent thread 35 remaining between the outer warp threads of the shed in the selvage. Thereafter, the loom slay 40 effects its advance movement for beating up the weft and the mouthipece 18 continues the return travel to its starting position. At the end of the advance movement of the loom slay the weft thread 42 and the loop 41 of the independent supplemental thread 35 are clamped simultaneously on the formation line of the fabric, thus producing a resistant sel'vage.

The horizontal adjustment of the mouthpiece 18 may be effected by loosening the screw 19 of the guiding support 17 and sliding the mouthpiece 18 more or less towards the selvage, and, once the same is adjusted in the desired position, the screw 19 can be tightened again to fasten it. The vertical adjustment of said mouthpiece 18 may be effected by loosening the screw 15 of the bush 14 of the support arm 13 and adjusting the shaft 16 to the desired height, whereafter the screw 15 may be tightened again for fixing the shaft 16 and, therefore, the mouthpiece 18 in the desired position.

The same operation is effected in the case of the application of the selvage forming device to looms producing two fabrics at a time. Naturally, in this case, the adjustment of the corresponding mouthpieces 18 and 34 must be effected independently for each of them.

What I claim is:

1. Selvage forming device for use in shuttleless looms having warp threads adapted to form sheds in which a weft thread is inserted, a loom slay for beating up the weft thread, and supplemental independent thread for the formation of at least a selvage in the fabric, characterized in that said selvage forming device comprises a tubular mouthpiece which, acting as a guide for a supplemental independent thread, is arranged on a movable support carried by a shaft adapted to effect an angular rotation of about 30, synchronously with the slay movement, so that by means of this rotation said mouthpiece and, therefore, the supplemental independent thread passing therethrough is introduced into a shed at the edge thereof to a depth corresponding to the width of the selvage being produced, the said tubular mouthpiece mounting a flexible tube supplying compressed air, said compressed air supplied through said tube into the mouthpiece engages the supplemental independent thread introduced into the same and blows it out of the mouthpiece, inserting it at the selvage between the outer warp threads of the shed in cooperation with the movement of the mouthpiece from the exterior to the interior of the edge of the shed, the shed being closed during the return travel of the mouthpiece and the supplemental independent thread being beaten up by the forward movement of the slay between the outer warp threads of the selvage simultaneously with the previously inserted weft thread.

2. Selvage forming device for use in shuttleless looms, producing two parallel fabrics at a time, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said selvage forming device comprises two thread-guiding mouthpieces are arranged on said movable support and adapted for inserting between the outer warp threads of respective vertically spaced sheds, corresponding supplemental independent threads for the simultaneous formation of two selvages, one in each of the two parallel fabrics.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,287 12/1941 Moessinger 139-422 2,871,888 2/1959 McDOwell l39127 3,116,762 1/1964 Ancet et a1 139-124 3,249,127 5/1966 Payne 139-127 HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner. 

